Kerala High Court wants central forces in Kannur

Kochi (Kerala), March 11 (IANS) The Kerala High Court Tuesday felt that deploying central forces was the only solution to bring peace in Kannur district, where political clashes last week resulted in seven deaths. “The only solution is deploying central forces that would not yield to those in power. It is hoped that a gubernatorial move to apprise the central government takes place,” said Justice V. Ramkumar.

Justice Ramkumar made this observation while asking the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate a political murder in which a Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) activist is an accused. It pertains to the killing of a National Development Front activist in Thalassery town in Kannur in October 2006.

The court also observed that the victims of political violence usually hail from the lower strata of society.

The observation comes in the wake of political clashes between the cadres of the CPI-M and the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) last week.

The recent bout of violence started when a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader was attacked in Thalassery Wednesday. Three people lost their lives later Wednesday in retaliation by RSS and BJP and in counter attacks by the CPI-M. While one person was killed Thursday, two others were murdered Friday.

Both the opposition Congress and BJP leaders have been demanding that central forces be deployed in Kannur, which has been a hotbed of political violence between the CPI-M and the BJP-RSS combine for several years now.